September 3 2024
Happy Labor Day! But why do we celebrate?
Ever stop and think why the USA celebrates Labor Day? Do ya think it’s just an extra day off from work/labor? Is it just another day to get with family and friends to eat, drink, and commiserate? Hmm. Maybe this blog might shed a little light on the matter. If you have no interest at all, no worries; then go enjoy your day with family, friends, and yourself drinking, eating, and being free of labor.
Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States that honors the achievements of American workers and the labor movement. It’s celebrated on the first Monday of September each year. The holiday’s roots can be traced back to the decades after the Civil War, when workers rallied and went on strike to demand better working conditions and shorter workdays. During the Industrial Revolution, workers continued to organize strikes, demonstrations, and rallies to fight for their rights. The first Labor Day parade was held on September 5, 1882.
According to the US Department of Labor,
Before it was a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized by labor activists and individual states. After municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886, a movement developed to secure state legislation. New York was the first state to introduce a bill, but Oregon was the first to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, on February 21, 1887. During 1887, four more states – Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York – passed laws creating a Labor Day holiday. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.
McGuire v. Maguire: Who Founded Labor Day?
Who first proposed the holiday for workers? It’s not entirely clear, but two workers can make a solid claim to the Founder of Labor Day title.
Some records show that in 1882, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, suggested setting aside a day for a “general holiday for the laboring classes” to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”
But Peter McGuire’s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that machinist Matthew Maguire, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday.
Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey, proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.
According to the New Jersey Historical Society, after President Cleveland signed the law creating a national Labor Day, the Paterson Morning Call published an opinion piece stating that “the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday.” Both Maguire and McGuire attended the country’s first Labor Day parade in New York City that year.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.
So, that’s the historical perspective of Labor Day. Today, many of us take the time to finish up the last of our outdoor home and yard projects. Others may take time to spend time on the lake, and others share a meal with family and friends. Some of us may just “unplug” , go “off grid” or “just get away” from the daily stresses and struggles of every day life. Whichever way you celebrate, take time for yourself, for each other, and give thanks that you have the opportunity to celebrate the way you want without restriction.
HAPPY LABOR DAY!
from your friends at RBD
